Showing the current mode in the tabs bar / combining status-bar with tab-bar?

[oswcab]

Long time tmux user now testing zellij since version 0.12.0 and has to say you have done an amazing job! Kudos to the team!

Still trying to personalize the keys/layouts to reproduce a similar environment as the one I had with tmux. I decided, then, to move the tabs bar to the bottom of the screen and to remove the status-bar (not very useful for me given the status get out of sync with modified key assignments [1]). This arrangement also saves vertical real screen which I consider very important given using both bars uses additional lines [2].

Issue is, sometimes got a bit lost about the current mode and pressing some keys in some modes can have unexpected consequences (happened to me that, after an interruption, I forgot I was in tab mode and when started to type ended up renaming the current tab :) )

Thinking of two possible solutions for this. First, preferable to me because I don't plan to use the status-bar even if the lack of sync [1] is resolved (I prefer to memorize the shortcuts), would be to have the current mode shown in the tab bar similar to what vim/nvim do. I'd say that in normal mode the 'Zellij' text can stay but be replaced by the name of the mode when entering in any other mode. Or to add the name of the mode (even 'normal') to the right of the 'Zellij' text on the tab-bar.

A second option for those that prefer to have the status-bar available and still save vertical real screen, would be to combine both, the tab bar and the status bar, in the same line. Left half side of the bar could be assigned to the tab-bar and the remaining half to the status-bar. I'm aware these are two different plugins, but, hey, you lose nothing just asking :)

Thanks!

[1] #246

[2] #586

[a-kenji]

Thank you for taking the time writing this issue down -
and for the kind words!

I feel similar and wish this could be implemented soon.
I prefer your first suggestion: having it possible to show the mode in the
tab-bar, but since that would not be the default I see it being blocked by #317.
It would be good to have a block that could be inserted into the tab-bar somewhere,
which can show the current mode.

Issue is, sometimes got a bit lost about the current mode and pressing some keys in some modes can have unexpected consequences (happened to me that, after an interruption, I forgot I was in tab mode and when started to type ended up renaming the current tab :) )

Yes, that is a real issue!

[imsnif]

Very much fixed in lots of different ways.

[will]

@imsnif do you have a link to an example of how to do combine the status and tab bar into a single thing handy?

[imsnif]

Check out the compact bar: zellij -l compact

[oswcab]

Great! Thanks a lot for taking the time and addressing this!

[imsnif]

For sure - this was addressed a very long time ago tbh, but I must admit I gave up keeping track of issues in this project. So in general it's worth to check in every now and then.